The vast majority of voters say the rising cost of gas is a “serious” problem in President Biden’s America, mere months ahead of the midterm elections, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Tuesday found.
Rising gas prices have emerged as a top voter issue heading into the midterms, which does not bode well for President Biden and Democrats, both of whom have continued to deflect, constantly blaming others for the current state of affairs in the country.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in April, for example, tied rising gas prices to “Russia’s unprovoked, vicious, nasty, bitter, invasion of Ukraine.”
That, he said, “has led to higher prices at the pump,” later blaming “market manipulation and price gouging” at the hands of big oil companies. Speaking at the same press conference, 82-year-old House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also refused to accept blame.
“No. I don’t think the public is blaming Democrats [for rising gas prices],” she said. “I think they’re blaming oil companies. They will blame all of us if we don’t do something about the fossil fuel industry.”
Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm made a similar assertion in May, telling U.S. lawmakers that they “can thank the activity of Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine.”
However, Democrats are simply falling in line with their leader, as President Biden himself has refused to take responsibility, often blaming Putin for rising prices, even referring to it as “Putin’s gas tax.”
Americans are extremely worried about this issue.
“How serious a problem is the rising price of gasoline, home heating oil and other petroleum products?” the survey asked, as 92 percent identified the problem as “serious.” Of those 68 percent said it is “very” serious. A majority of Republicans, Democrats, and independents are in agreement.
Democrats have sidestepped the reality of the situation, as Biden attacked American energy independence from day one, beginning with canceling the Keystone Pipeline, rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, and later halting leasing programs. Not to mention, as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) pointed out, gas prices were well on the rise before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It appears, however, that the American people are not buying the administration’s narrative, as just 11 percent blame Putin for higher gas prices.
One in five Democrats blame Putin, but just nine percent of independents and four percent of Republicans feel the same way, per the survey.
Across the board, a majority — 52 percent — blame Biden for higher gas prices. Eighty percent of Republicans, 54 percent of independents, and 24 percent of Democrats hold those same sentiments. Another 29 percent blame major oil companies.
The survey was taken June 16 and 19, 2022 among 1,000 likely voters and has a +/- 3 percent margin of error.
Biden is expected to announce support for a three-month gas tax holiday on Wednesday.
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